I read somewhere that most dry yeast companies accomidate to the fact that the yeast is probably going to just be sprinkled into the wort as is so they put more in the package. I do not have the link where I read that, with that being said. Just RAHAHB do what the package of yeast says. If it says sprinkle into wort, then sprinkle into wort, if it says to rehydrate in water at 105 degrees for 15 minutes then do just that. IF you hungry for a more involved method, build a stir plate (its a TON cheaper tha purchasing one) and make a starter using liquid yeast. I have made 1 starter using liquid yeast and a stir plate. OMG The lag time wasnt really long enough to be called lag time. Im talking less than 6 hours it was booming!!!! My flask broke and I have not been able to make starters so I have just been folowing directions on the packages but I just purchased a flask and now startes are goin to happen again!
i dunno about half as much...? ..!
At least according to the JZ/Chris White "Yeast" book, pitching unhydrated dry yeast will kill approximately half of the pitch.
grimzella said:that seems a bit much, maybe thats why so much is in the packet then.. but i know many who just sprinkle with great\fast starts.
I'm sure sprinkling works in most brews because the required pitch rate is still enough even with only half of them surviving the pitch. Brew a bigger beer or have some other variables less than optimal, and you're asking for problems. Rehydrating is an easy, simple step that preserves more of the yeast in the packet, why fight it?
I sprinkle the dry yeast directly onto the wort. I've made three brews so far and active fermentation has always been visible after 5 to 10 hours. I do make 3 gallon batches though and I guess the packs are designed for 5 gallons.
Past performance is not always a guarantee of future success. A short lag time doesn't always mean a quality ferment either. There are so many variables in a fermentation it's almost impossible to track down what happened if you have issues. I think brewing well is controlling as many of those variables as possible. There's always a chance something will go wrong in a brew. Why not try and minimize that chance? If you think a practice that kills a large percentage of the yeast right off the bat will lead to consistent, high quality beer by all means, keep on doing it. Over the years I've taken to heart the idea that brewers make wort, yeast make beer. And they do a better job of it the better we attend to their needs. Temperature control, adequate aeration, and enough cells (pitch rate) for the style and gravity of beer are the biggest factors in the final product. Happy yeast make good beer. Dehydrated yeast sprinkled on top of wort aren't happy. Their dehydrated cell walls can't control the amount of sugar they absorb and many of them burst. They may still make decent beer in some cases, but eventually you will most likely have issues...
Demus said:Dehydrated yeast sprinkled on top of wort aren't happy. Their dehydrated cell walls can't control the amount of sugar they absorb and many of them burst.
Why then do the instructions on Fermentis packs say 'sprinkle onto wort'? Are Fermentis Safale dried yeasts different to other brands? I would have thought that of all the people to have an opinion on the subject the manufacturer is likely to have a fairly good clue as to what works.
Why then do the instructions on Fermentis packs say 'sprinkle onto wort'? Are Fermentis Safale dried yeasts different to other brands? I would have thought that of all the people to have an opinion on the subject the manufacturer is likely to have a fairly good clue as to what works.
Qhrumphf said:For the same reason that all the kits out there tell you to rack a beer to secondary for a week after 5 to 7 days primary (or even less) and leave it in bottles for a week. It's targeted to the person who knows absolutely nothing about making beer for simple easy of use. Because it will work, but it won't make the best possible.
At the end of the day it's just a numbers game, i.e. how many of the cells make it vs. the ones that don't. For my small 3gal batches, a new pack containing sufficient viable cells to inoculate 5gal even with a 60% failure rate will work.
Demus said:You are probably right. If you rehydrated though, you could get two batches out of one yeast pack! :rockin:
At the end of the day it's just a numbers game, i.e. how many of the cells make it vs. the ones that don't. For my small 3gal batches, a new pack containing sufficient viable cells to inoculate 5gal even with a 60% failure rate will work.
I'm sure sprinkling works in most brews because the required pitch rate is still enough even with only half of them surviving the pitch. Brew a bigger beer or have some other variables less than optimal, and you're asking for problems. Rehydrating is an easy, simple step that preserves more of the yeast in the packet, why fight it?
^^^I agree with this. I recently rehydrated some dry yeast...It took me 60 seconds and some warm water. I allowed it to sit for 15 minutes before pitching. It worked very well, and for the relative time investment, why wouldn't you do it?
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